Dentures and Partials

When many or all of your teeth are missing, dentures and partials are an effective way to restore your smile, both esthetically and functionally.

Complete dentures are used when all of the teeth are missing. Should complete dentures be in your future, Dr. Foster can discuss your options to make sure you do not have to go any time without teeth. Complete dentures take time to make correctly and take time to get adjusted to. Experiences differ from patient to patient; should you need more support, implants can be placed so your dentures can “snap” into place. Though a longer process and more expensive, patients are usually much happier with implant-supported dentures.

Partials can replace as little or as many missing teeth a patient may have. There are many types of partials some made with metal with acrylic and others made fully of acrylic or nylon. Dr. Foster is happy to go over your options and the benefits of each type of partial should they be a treatment option for you.

Dentures are a removable piece of hardware used to replace some or all of your natural teeth. If all of your teeth are missing or need to be removed, you will be given a full set of dentures. If some of your natural teeth remain, partial dentures are used.

Adjusting to Dentures

When you are first fitted for dentures, you may have to wear them all the time, including while sleeping. This will allow the dentist to quickly find spots that need to be reshaped due to discomfort or irritation. After the dentures are properly fitted to your jaw, dentures can be removed at night.

While dentures are not real teeth, you will want to care for them as if they were. Brush your dentures to remove food particles before removing them. You will need to deposit your dentures into warm water or a denture cleaning solution as soon as you remove them from your mouth. Hot water can warp dentures, so be careful!

It can take some time for your mouth to adjust to the shape of dentures. At first it may feel awkward and bulky to have the appliances in your mouth, but over time, you will become accustomed to the dentures.

Contact our office today for more information on whether dentures are right for you.